Pandora Papers involved a leak of more than 11.9 million records
(AFP via Getty Images)
The US has said it is reviewing findings from a bombshell leak of documents, which revealed secret financial dealings of the rich and powerful.
The “Pandora Papers” investigation shed light on how world leaders, billionaires and others have used offshore accounts to keep money out of government treasuries over the past quarter-century.
Among those named in the files are associates of Russian president Vladimir Putin, King Abdullah of Jordan, and Czech prime minister Andrej Babis.
All three have denied wrongdoing.
Current and former world leaders deny wrongdoing
Current and former world leaders have denied wrongdoing after being named or linked to figures in the Pandora Papers.
Andrej Babis is accused of passing money through three separate companies in order to buy luxury properties including a £13m chateau on the French Riviera.
He used a television debate to protest his innocence, saying the allegations are part of a conspiracy to remove him from power, and that the events in question took place long before he entered politics.
Read more on the Czech PM – who is days away from a parliamentary election – here:
King Abdullah II has said claims he used offshore accounts to disguise a £70m hidden property empire were “defamatory and designed to target Jordan’s reputation”.
Bel Trew, our middle east correspondent, has more:
Vladimir Putin’s entourage
The Washington Post said the documents showed Vladimir Putin’s mistress had used offshore funds to buy a flat in Monaco.
But the Kremlin said it had seen no evidence in the leak of hidden wealth among the Russian president Vladimir Putin’s entourage.
“For now it is just not clear what this information is and what it is about,” spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
The spokesperson was asked about the named woman last year and denied having ever heard of her.
Tony and Cherie Blair avoided paying £312,000 in tax on the purchase of a London property by acquiring an offshore company, according to a trove of leaked documents.
The couple’s spokesperson said “the Blairs pay full tax on all their earnings” and have “never used offshore schemes either to hide transactions or avoid tax”.
Additional reporting by agencies
Zoe Tidman5 October 2021 09:18
What do the Pandora Papers show?
The Pandora Papers investigation has revealed the secret offshore wealth of the rich and powerful in one of the largest ever leaks of financial data.
Some 35 world leaders and more than 100 billionaires are implicated in the leaked documents, which lay bare how the global elite use offshore tax havens to store and move their money.
Daniel Keane has more on the findings and who is implicated:
Zoe Tidman5 October 2021 08:56
Why are there no big American names in Pandora Papers?
Prominent Americans largely escaped the investigation’s gaze. But the United States itself did not, as researchers found the US now serves as an overseas tax haven for many.
John Bowden takes a look at the absence of big American names in the Pandora Papers:
Zoe Tidman5 October 2021 08:38
US reviewing findings from Pandora Papers
A US state department spokesperson has been asked about the Pandora Papers at a news conference.
“We’ve of course seen the reporting on the Pandora Papers and we are not in a position to comment specifically on the findings, which we are reviewing,” he said.
Ned Price, the spokesperson, added the US government actively focuses on strengthening financial transparency and investigating possible illicit activity.
Additional reporting by Reuters
Zoe Tidman5 October 2021 08:19
Good morning and welcome to our coverage of the Pandora Papers investigation.
Zoe Tidman5 October 2021 08:17
